Concentration of CO2 in the Atmosphere

July 16, 2012 – Burlington, VT – Two of Vermont’s leading energy organizations are combining efforts to further the advancement and adoption of sustainable energy in Vermont and beyond.

As of July 10, the Vermont Energy Investment Corporation (VEIC) has assumed the programs of the Biomass Energy Resource Center (BERC), building upon the long-lived cooperation and mutual support between the mission-driven, non-profit organizations. This transition will result in an expanded, and growing, set of comprehensive sustainable energy services that encompasses biomass, other renewable energy resources, transportation, and energy efficiency.

“We approached VEIC with this proposal because we saw it as a way to advance our work with a partner who shares our vision for a sustainable energy future,” said Brenda Quiroz Maday, Executive Director of BERC. “The transition of BERC’s programs to VEIC will foster the continued development of sustainable biomass energy systems across the nation.”

Senator Leahy, who has helped BERC secure project support through the U.S. Department of Energy, said: “These two Vermont organizations each have international expertise and proven track records in developing renewable energy projects. By working together they will be even more effective in increasing renewable energy options in Vermont and around the world, creating Vermont jobs in the meantime.”

Since 2001, BERC has assisted a wide range of communities, governments and institutions in making the most of their local biomass energy resources. BERC is a project-focused organization whose mission is to achieve a healthier environment, strengthen local economies, and increase energy security across the United States through the development of sustainable biomass energy systems at the community level. VEIC will continue to maintain BERC’s particular focus on the use of woody biomass and other biomass fuels for thermal and electrical energy, and will leverage BERC’s national leadership in community-scale biomass district energy, institutional wood heating, and sustainable management of biomass resources.

“This is a great opportunity that will enhance the important work that VEIC and BERC have been pursuing,” said Scott Johnstone, Executive Director of VEIC. “By combining BERC’s deep expertise in biomass energy with VEIC’s comprehensive sustainable energy approaches, we will be better able to meet the increasingly-complex demands of our clients in Vermont and around the country. The acquisition also furthers our organizational mission to reduce the economic and environmental costs of energy use.”

The Vermont Energy Investment Corporation (VEIC) is a mission-driven nonprofit organization, founded in 1986, dedicated to reducing the economic and environmental costs of energy consumption through cost-effective energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies. VEIC has consulted in 25 states, 6 Canadian Provinces and 7 countries outside North America to design programs that reduce energy use through energy efficiency and renewable energy. In addition, VEIC operates Efficiency Vermont, the nation’s first statewide energy efficiency utility; Efficiency Smart, providing a full range of energy efficiency services to 49 Midwestern municipal electric systems and counting; and the District of Columbia Sustainable Energy Utility, administering sustainability services in the nation’s capital. For more information: www.veic.org.